2012 NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona set for this Week: NASCAR is back in full gear as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams hit the pavement at Daytona International Speedway this week for three days of preseason testing. The main focus of the test is for teams to work on their final preparations for 2012 Speedweeks in particular, the 54th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 26. "This is an opportunity we are providing to the competitors to implement and test the new Daytona rules package for 2012," said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition. "It's a chance for them to get comfortable with the cooling package, the smaller spoiler and to practice drafting for next month's Daytona 500." The new rules package is a result of information gathered during recent tests at Talladega last October and at Daytona last November. "While we have had other tests with these set-ups, this is the first opportunity for the entire field to test together and get more comfortable with this package as it relates to their cars," Pemberton said.

"This three-day test will allow the engine tuners for these teams to be able to work with their engine packages and see how they relate and react to the new cooling regulations," Pemberton said. Next month's Daytona 500 will be only the third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points event ran on the repaved Daytona International Speedway. This year's Preseason Thunder will continue to be an opportunity for teams and drivers to test their skills on a relatively fresh surface in addition to the new rules. Complementing the testing portion of this weekend's festivities, the track is also offering fans an opportunity to be part of a special two-day Fan Fest event.
Fan Fest sessions are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 13 and include autograph sessions, driver question and answer sessions, show cars and displays, music and a photo opportunity with the 2012 Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy. In addition, fans can ride the high banks under the lights by purchasing a Richard Petty Driving Experience ride along.
Tickets for Daytona Preseason Thunder Fan Fest are $20 and available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP or online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Children 12 and under will receive free admission.
Daytona International Speedway will also host special driver chat sessions on the speedway's social media channels following the end of testing Thursday and Friday evenings. Fans can submit questions for Twitter chats by using #daytonatesting, with answers, updates and testing information coming from Daytona International Speedway's Twitter feed @DISUpdates. Fans can also submit questions on Facebook for LiveStream chats with drivers on www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway. NASCAR's official Twitter feed @NASCAR will also provide updates throughout the three-day session.SPEED will broadcast live coverage of testing on all three days from 1-5 p.m. ET. Additionally, SPEEDTV.com will stream testing live from 9 a.m.-noon ET each day.(NASCAR)(1-10-2012)

Daytona testing dates set for January: NASCAR Preseason Thunder, the annual three-day NASCAR Sprint Cup Series test session at Daytona International Speedway in advance of the prestigious season-opening 54th annual Daytona 500, will be held on Jan. 12-14. All NASCAR Preseason Thunder test sessions begin at 9 am and end at 5 pm, weather permitting. Each includes a lunch break from noon until 1 pm. Race fans can also rev up their new year at the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest the companion event to the January test sessions. Along with watching NASCAR Preseason Thunder track activity from the Sprint FANZONE, fans can enjoy two Fan Fest driver sessions from 5-9 p.m., on Thursday, Jan. 12 and from 5-7 p.m., on Friday, Jan. 13.
The schedule of driver question-and-answer and autograph sessions will be finalized closer to the event. Tickets for the NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest, which include autograph session wristbands, will be available for purchase at a later date. For fans who would like to be contacted regarding NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest ticket information can sign up online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/thunder. Fans can also watch each day's testing at no cost from a section of the Oldfield Grandstands. Information on tickets for both the NASCAR Preseason Thunder and the Roar Before The Rolex 24 will be available online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.(DIS)(9-29-2011)

Daytona Testing Speeds - Day 1 combined - January 12, 2012

Combined Times - Day 1

Rank

Car No.

Driver

Manu.

Time

Speed

Session

1

18

Kyle Busch

Toyota

44.466

202.402

D1PM

2

20

Joey Logano

Toyota

44.469

202.388

D1PM

3

2

Brad Keselowski

Dodge

44.505

202.224

D1PM

4

22

AJ Allmendinger

Dodge

44.506

202.220

D1PM

5

88

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Chevy

44.794

200.920

D1PM

6

48

Jimmie Johnson

Chevy

44.795

200.915

D1PM

7

11

Denny Hamlin

Toyota

44.965

200.156

D1PM

8

5

Kasey Kahne

Chevy

45.047

199.791

D1PM

9

55

Mark Martin

Toyota

45.782

196.584

D1PM

10

15

Clint Bowyer

Toyota

45.782

196.584

D1PM

11

6

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ford

46.164

194.957

D1PM

12

24

Jeff Gordon

Chevy

46.482

193.623

D1PM

13

24

Jeff Gordon

Chevy

46.687

192.773

D1AM

14

27

Paul Menard

Chevy

46.726

192.612

D1PM

15

27

Paul Menard

Chevy

46.785

192.369

D1AM

16

51

Kurt Busch

Chevy

46.787

192.361

D1AM

17

51

Kurt Busch

Chevy

46.835

192.164

D1PM

18

6

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Ford

46.885

191.959

D1AM

19

14

Tony Stewart

Chevy

46.887

191.951

D1PM

20

10

Danica Patrick

Chevy

46.893

191.926

D1PM

21

42

Juan Pablo Montoya

Chevy

46.911

191.853

D1AM

22

48

Jimmie Johnson

Chevy

46.933

191.763

D1AM

23

16

Greg Biffle

Ford

46.941

191.730

D1PM

24

31

Jeff Burton

Chevy

46.945

191.714

D1PM

25

42

Juan Pablo Montoya

Chevy

46.969

191.616

D1PM

26

16

Greg Biffle

Ford

46.987

191.542

D1AM

27

17

Matt Kenseth

Ford

46.997

191.502

D1PM

28

10

Danica Patrick

Chevy

47.004

191.473

D1AM

29

9

Marcos Ambrose

Ford

47.007

191.461

D1PM

30

39

Ryan Newman

Chevy

47.01

191.449

D1PM

31

31

Jeff Burton

Chevy

47.019

191.412

D1AM

32

21

Trevor Bayne

Ford

47.022

191.400

D1AM

33

88

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Chevy

47.025

191.388

D1AM

34

14

Tony Stewart

Chevy

47.032

191.359

D1AM

35

18

Kyle Busch

Toyota

47.037

191.339

D1AM

36

29

Kevin Harvick

Chevy

47.052

191.278

D1PM

37

20

Joey Logano

Toyota

47.059

191.249

D1AM

38

21

Trevor Bayne

Ford

47.061

191.241

D1PM

39

56

Martin Truex Jr.

Toyota

47.095

191.103

D1PM

40

1

Jamie McMurray

Chevy

47.102

191.075

D1PM

41

39

Ryan Newman

Chevy

47.11

191.042

D1AM

42

11

Denny Hamlin

Toyota

47.122

190.994

D1AM

43

17

Matt Kenseth

Ford

47.134

190.945

D1AM

44

5

Kasey Kahne

Chevy

47.16

190.840

D1AM

45

29

Kevin Harvick

Chevy

47.176

190.775

D1AM

46

15

Clint Bowyer

Toyota

47.199

190.682

D1AM

47

55

Mark Martin

Toyota

47.225

190.577

D1AM

48

9

Marcos Ambrose

Ford

47.238

190.525

D1AM

49

43

Aric Almirola

Ford

47.255

190.456

D1AM

50

78

Regan Smith

Chevy

47.266

190.412

D1PM

51

1

Jamie McMurray

Chevy

47.269

190.400

D1AM

52

99

Carl Edwards

Ford

47.285

190.335

D1PM

53

43

Aric Almirola

Ford

47.296

190.291

D1PM

54

78

Regan Smith

Chevy

47.374

189.978

D1AM

55

22

AJ Allmendinger

Dodge

47.419

189.797

D1AM

56

99

Carl Edwards

Ford

47.435

189.733

D1AM

57

36

Dave Blaney

Chevy

47.453

189.661

D1PM

58

2

Brad Keselowski

Dodge

47.504

189.458

D1AM

59

13

Casey Mears

Ford

47.508

189.442

D1AM

60

56

Martin Truex Jr.

Toyota

47.633

188.945

D1AM

61

13

Casey Mears

Ford

47.671

188.794

D1PM

62

87

Joe Nemechek

Toyota

48.038

187.352

D1PM

63

87

Joe Nemechek

Toyota

48.304

186.320

D1AM

Daytona Testing Speeds - Day 1 afternoon - January 12, 2012

Thursday afternoon test session: Thursday's second test session is over. The five fastest drivers and some notes:
#18-Busch 202.402
#20-Logano 202.388
#2-Keselowski 202.224
#22-Allmendinger 202.220
#88-Earnhardt, Jr. 200.920Some Notes:
NASCAR permitted cars to draft together during the session, but only a handful of drivers did so.
#55-Martin got into the back of #15-Bowyer while drafting and spun Bowyer out. Bowyer was able to save the car and did not hit anything, but did suffer some sheetmetal damage when the car went down on the track apron.(1-12-2012)

Daytona Testing Speeds - Day 1 morning - January 12, 2012

Thursday morning test session: The first test session of Thursday morning is over. The five fastest drivers and some notes:
#24-Gordon 192.773
#27-Menard 192.369
#51-Kurt Busch 192.361
#6-Stenhouse, Jr. 191.959
#42-Montoya 191.853Some Notes:
#14-Stewart arrived at the track around 10:30am/et. He was returning from the Chili Bowl in Tulsa.
#39-Newman also arrived late. He has been battling the flu.
Chad Knaus is on vacation and not at the track. Steve Letarte is helping oversee the #48 team's test session.(1-12-2012)